~ Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the early childhood centers in Reggio Emilia, Italy
At Maara House, we practice a Reggio-Inspired approach by adopting the core values of the Reggio Emilia philosophy. These guiding principles allow us to focus on the whole child, empowering their thoughts, questions, interests, and in turn hopefully fostering a lifelong love of learning.
Children construct their own knowledge through a carefully planned curriculum that engages and builds upon the child’s current knowledge, recognizing that knowledge cannot simply be provided for the child. The curriculum, often emergent in nature, is based on the interests of the children. When learning is the product of the child’s guided construction rather than simply the teacher’s transmission and the child’s absorption, learning becomes individualized. Most important, teaching becomes a two-way relationship in which the teacher’s understanding of the child is just as important as the child’s understanding of the teacher.
We also understand that the relationship a child forms with their environment is integral to the learning process. This is why our curriculum includes weekly field trips to promote inquiry and cultural diversity. Venturing out into the ‘real world’ allows practical themes and ideas to emerge and guide the learning course.Personal growth and well-being is as much a part of the children’s learning as is their academic achievement. The development of emotional intelligence, resilience and change agility underpins all the learning at the school. To support this, children work together in small groups to make discoveries or achieve a common purpose. This process helps them develop critical skills such as problem-solving, perseverance, expressing oneself and listening to others. Teachers place a strong emphasis on the social learning that takes place in the classroom. At all ages, we encourage children to become aware of how their actions and words affect the people around them, and help them learn how to support and respect one another.
Learn more about the Key Characteristics of the Reggio Emilia Curriculum
